Awards & Fundraising

The Historical Society of Central Florida supports the Orange County Regional History Center’s exhibitions and programming through various fundraising events each year.

John Young History Maker Award

Since 2005, the Historical Society of Central Florida has recognized the outstanding achievements of select community members by bestowing the John Young History Maker Award upon a Central Floridian whose lifetime of achievement has made a historic impact on the community.

The John Young History Maker Award was named after our hometown hero, Captain John Young, who was the ninth person to walk on the moon as Commander of the Apollo 16 mission in 1972.

Proceeds from the event go toward supporting Orange County Regional History Center’s education programs, exhibits, and efforts to preserve local history.

This year’s John Young Award Ceremony, honoring Ford Kiene as the History Maker Present and Richard “Dick” Fletcher as History Maker Past, will be held on April 23, 2019. A pdf of the sponsorship package can be downloaded here.

Previous John Young History Maker Honorees

Captain John Young, 2005

Colonel Joe Kittinger, 2006

Toni Jennings, 2007

Charles Gray, 2008

Charles Millican, 2010

John Hillenmeyer, 2011

Ann Sonntag, 2012

Rita Bornstein, 2013

Judge Belvin Perry, Jr., 2014

Dr. John Hitt, 2015

Pat Williams, 2017

E. Ann McGee, 2018

Donald A. Cheney Award

The Donald A. Cheney Award was established by the Historical Society of Central Florida to recognize and pay tribute to individuals in the Central Florida community who embody unfailing dedication to the area’s history.

The award is named for Judge Donald A. Cheney, a devoted student and promoter of local history, as well as the founder of the Orange County Historical Society and the Orange County Historical Museum, the forerunners of the current Historical Society and History Center.